What you need to know about Student loans and the Covid-19 pandemic.

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https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/blog/what-you-need-to-know-about-student-loans-and-coronavirus-pandemic/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=wc&utm_term=April12020

 

 

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[kaylee34]

Checked mine today for giggles.

$26 auto payment processed on the 27th as usual. Interest rate does reflect 0%

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Checked mine today for giggles.
$26 auto payment processed on the 27th as usual. Interest rate does reflect 0%

That’s what I’m talking about. That interest helps a little bit. Congrats


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[kaylee34]

From NAVIENT

I'll just drop this here

Quote

On March 27, 2020, the president signed the CARES Act, which, among other things, provides broad relief in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) for federal student loan borrowers whose loans are owned by the U.S. Department of Education (ED). As your federal loan servicer, we are contacting you to explain how this law affects your federally owned loans that we service for ED.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

First, it's important to understand that the provisions of the CARES Act that affect federal student loans are temporary. The changes to your federal student loans that we explain in this communication will end Sept. 30, 2020.

In addition, the interest rate and status changes apply only to your federally owned William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program, Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program, and Federal Perkins Loan (Perkins Loan) Program loans. If you have other federal student loans that are not owned by ED and/or have private loans, you'll need to contact the servicers of those loans to discuss potential relief options.

We've taken the following actions on the federally owned loans we service for you:

• 0% Interest Rate - We changed the interest rate on the loans to 0% for the period March 13, 2020, through Sept. 30, 2020. During this period, you will not be charged interest on your loans.

• Administrative Forbearance - We placed the loans identified in an administrative forbearance for the period March 13, 2020, through Sept. 30, 2020. During this period, you will not be required to make monthly payments on your loans. If your payments are made through auto debit, those debits will not occur while the forbearance is in place. We will report you as current to credit reporting agencies.

Although you will not be required to make monthly payments during this specific administrative forbearance period, payments you would have been required to make between March 13, 2020, and Sept. 30, 2020, will count toward loan forgiveness provided all other qualifying factors are met.

Note: If you choose to make payments during the administrative forbearance period, you may do so; however, you'll need to make those payments manually (not through auto debit). Given the 0% interest rate explained above, any payments you make during the March 13, 2020, through Sept. 30, 2020, period will be applied to paying down the principal amount of your loans after accrued interest from other periods has been resolved.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

Keep this notification for your records. We'll communicate with you in August to help prepare you for Sept. 30, 2020, when the 0% interest rate and administrative forbearance period ends.

There's no other action you need to take, unless you want to opt out of the administrative forbearance we've placed on your account. If you opt out, we'll remove the administrative forbearance and you'll be required to make monthly payments. Unless you want to continue making payments through auto debit, there is no advantage to you by opting out of the administrative forbearance. The 0% interest rate will remain in effect, and you will not be charged interest through Sept. 30, 2020, whether the forbearance remains in effect or not.

To opt out, let us know through one of the options described below in the section, "HOW TO CONTACT US."

• If you change your mind after opting out, you can simply request that your loans be placed in the administrative forbearance again. Contact us through one of the options described below in the section, "HOW TO CONTACT US."

• If you opt out and become more than 30 days late in making a required monthly payment, we'll place your loans in the administrative forbearance again.

 

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Information for student loan borrowers

Principal and interest payments on federally-held student loans are automatically suspended through January 31, 2021.
What you need to know

Interest and monthly payments on federally-held loans are suspended through January 31, 2021.
You do not need to contact your student loan servicer or take any action on your federally-held student loans.
Make sure your servicer has up-to-date contact information and check your mail or email so you can receive any updates or information about your loans.
Suspended payments through January 31, 2021, will count towards any student loan forgiveness program, as long as all other requirements of the loan forgiveness program are met.
Find out if you qualify

The student loan payment and interest suspensions only apply to federal student loans held by the Department of Education.

See a list of federal student loan servicers

Some federal student loans under the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program are owned by commercial lenders, and some Perkins Loans are held by the institution or school you attended. Your FFEL lender or school may choose to suspend interest and payments on a voluntary basis, but they are not required by law to do so. You can contact your servicer to find out if these options are available to you.

What to do if you have federally-held student loans

You don't need to take any action. From March 13 through January 31, 2021, the interest rate is set to 0% and payments are suspended for student loans owned by the federal government. If you are financially able to make payments or continue making payments on your student loans, any payments you made or make after March 13 will be applied directly to principal once all the interest that accrued prior to March 13 is paid. This will help you pay off your loans faster.

If you made a payment toward your federally-held student loans after March 13, you can request a refund from your student loan servicer.

If your federal student loan is already in default

The Department of Education has stopped the collection of defaulted federal student loans, including garnishment of wages and the offset of tax refunds and Social Security benefits, through January 31, 2021.

There is no additional action required from you for your federally-owned loans. For all other defaulted federal loans, contact your loan holder to find out about your options.

If you are rehabilitating a defaulted student loan, any missed payments through January 31, 2021, due to the coronavirus pandemic will not be considered a missed payment against your rehabilitation.

Learn more about rehabilitating a defaulted federal student loan

If you are working toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness

If you are working toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) you need to be aware of a few key items. Only Direct Loans are eligible for PSLF. All Direct Loans are owned by the federal government. For Direct Loans, even though payments are suspended, those suspended payments through January 31, 2021, will count as though you had made a payment toward loan forgiveness programs as long as the other the PSLF program requirements are met.

If you have other types of federal loans and are working in public service, you can consolidate most, if not all, of those loans into a Direct Consolidation Loan, which is eligible for PSLF if other program requirements are met.

Learn more about the PSLF program requirements
If someone contacted you to pay a fee to suspend your payments

This is a scam. The federal government will not ask for a fee to suspend your payments. If someone asks for money to process this information, it is a scam and you should report them to the FTC’s complaint assistant .

You do not need to pay someone to help with your student loans. You should also be aware of these warning signs to help you avoid student loan debt relief scams and how to get help.
What to do if your federal loan is held by commercial lenders or your school

Some loans under the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program are owned by commercial lenders, and some Perkins Loans are held by the institution or school you attended. FFEL lenders and schools may choose to offer interest and payment suspension benefits. If you have FFEL or Perkins loans, you should contact your student loan servicer for more information.

Perkins loan borrowers can request forbearance from their institution, not to exceed three months. This forbearance counts toward the cumulative three-year maximum allowed for Perkins loan forbearance. Additionally, you are not required to provide documentation to be considered for forbearance.

Federal student loan borrowers can consider income-driven repayment plans . Depending on your income or family size, your payments could be as low as $0. You may be able to enroll online without calling your servicer by visiting studentaid.gov . If you are already enrolled in an income-driven repayment plan but are experiencing a change in income, ask your servicer to recalculate your monthly payment.

If you are still required to make a payment that you can’t afford and you only need a temporary pause on payments, investigate whether deferment or forbearance is an option for you. Servicers can grant a 90-day forbearance to borrowers who are experiencing financial difficulties due to the pandemic. If you are still unable to make a payment after 90 days, you can request to renew this forbearance. Putting your loans into a deferment or forbearance will not result in negative credit reporting.

What to do if you have private student loans

Many private lenders have already implemented forbearance options that allow borrowers to postpone monthly payments, some for up to 90 days. Some private lenders also are waiving late fees and will not file negative reports to consumer reporting agencies. Some private lenders also offer their own reduced payment options. To find out what is available to you, contact your student loan servicer.

Learn ways to protect yourself if you’ve co-signed a student loan


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